Illuminating sign or number-plate.



S. BORMAN. ILLUMI'NATING SIGN 0R NUMBER PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, l14.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

B In U er: for,

gmazw A Ziorn e y 45 Figures SYDNEY BORMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO LGUIS C. JAI'HJDEKF,

F PORT WASHING-TON, NEW YGRK.

ILLUMINATING SIGN OR NUMBELEVPLATE,

eant.

My invention relates to signs, number plates, and the like adapted for illumination.

The objects of my invention are to provide a sign or plate adapted for illumination by either natural or artificial light; to render the faces of the same reversible; to insure a construction which will render the letters or figures distinct and the operation of the sign effective when the sign or the figures and letters must occupy a small area; to reduce the number of parts to a minimum and 7 thereby avoid rust generating in the'joints, rattling, and insecurity; and to strengthen the structure, and to advantageously control direct rays.

Further objects are to produce signs or number plates in a cheap and efiectlve manner whereby a minimum (if material will be required, assemblage be dispensed with,

so structural weakness be avoided, and speed of manufacture be insured. To the ahogre ends essentially my lIlVBIl tion consists 111 such parts and combinations of parts as fall within the scope of the eppended claims.

The invention will be described in connection with the specific embodiment shown, and the invention is not to be limited by such specific showing except for such limitations as the claims impart.

In the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification, and in which is shown an embodiment of the various features of my invention in the preferred form. 1, 2, and 3, are plan elevations of my novel plate in three phases or stages of its formation, Figs. 1, 5, and 6, central transverse sections of the same successively, Fig. 7, a rear elevation of the complete plate,

Fig. 8, a sectional view of my plate and an illuminating housing to which it is attached, and Figs. 9 and 10, front elevations of the plate on a reduced scale, showing the same in ohverse and revelse respectively.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'marginal portions 5.

Application filed December 29, 19M. Serial No. 579,452. I

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

in the construction illustrated a plate, sheet, or blank A of thin material such as metal, provided with marginal perforations a, 1i desired, for attaching or suspension means, has an intermediate portion B up Wardly bent or pressed into a concave con- Patented as. ea ers,

vex form in cross section, shown in Fig.

1 and i; which portion in the present 12*:- stance is intended to initially outline the numeral 1 or the letter It will be widen stood that the particular superficial form of the portion B in any instance is determined by the particular letter or numeral, or letters or numerals, that it is intended the plate shall. ultimately bear. W

The material of the plate A adjacent and surrounding the elevated portion B terms a flat marginal area b, which indicates the surface which is pierced or out, In 2 and 5, where this phase of the process is shown, 0 indlcates the hue of piercing which i is, however, interrupted by'portions 0, con

vcniently spaced from each other, which are not cut-by the piercing means The piercing operation 13 accompanied by a drawing operation. That is to say, as soon as the outline c is pierced the portions B and l) are downwardly or rearwardly forced some distance out of the plane of the hotly of the plate A, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby at the points 0 the material is drawn or elongated to form wehs C, which, in the present in-- stanoe, are six in number.

For purpose to he later explained it is necessary that the perimeter of the portion 7) of the rear member be greater than the perimeter of the opening G formed by the piercing operation on the line 0. This is eiiected by forcing the ercuate portion B of the rear member into the plane of the This operation results in increasing the superficial area of: the rear member in all directions, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, so that its edges are over lapped but out of contact with the body ot the plate A leaving spaces '02. Another result is that the webs C are forced into a slightly inclined position, which position they more readily assume because of their relative thinness due to the drawing opera-' body A, provided with attaching perfora tlOIlS'fl, and with an openlng r openings C having the contour orcontours of the letteror numeraltorletters or numerals which the sign isintended to'indicate A;

, cated 'inia plane behind the plate A, and

is connected thereto with Webs O; integral withl'the plates A and B between which Webs are spaces 0?. I i

Display is rendered more effective by applyin to the front surfaces of the plate A and t e plate B a blackand a'white coatmg of paint respectively, as ate and e; and by applying to their respective back surfaces white and black coatings, as at f and f. Preferably the white surfaces are reflective, and the black surfaces dull or non-reflective. I w

This sign is adapted forf'reversal, and

i when" employed in the dark with an artifi cia-l light in its rear and the black front face exposed, the intensity of the light and re:

flection is increased by the White character of the back of the plate A and the front of the display plate B, giving an effect such as shown in Fig. 9. By reversing the faces of the sign under like conditions the display plate B in front of the plate A is shown in silhouette with thebackground,

I formed by the surface f, illuminated by reflection from the rear face ofthe member'B, as shown in Fig. 10. It is understood that many letters and numerals'have a changed significance when reversed, and in such cases such reversal cannot: be employed.

"Thelarger area' of the plate B relatively to the opening in the body'is requiredto cut off the direct rays of the illumination agents Y ing G by means'of screws 71, passing loosely through the perforations a. is located an electric lamp J. a v

The sign may be manually reversed after removing the screws. When the sign is in- In this casing 1,1ee,117 U a I ber may be passed throughftheperfora tended for suspensiom'the suspending menitions, and effectiveness may be enhanced by suspending before a Window. The signinay,

for soineuses, merely rest upon its edge.

'The described construction is such as lends itself to the display of letters of very small dimensions located close together, The 'method'of construction is inexpensive, and the structure itself by the use of the integral webs avoids the necessity of employ ing numerous attaching parts, which result. in -rust,derangement, and expense,

What I claim is 1. In a sigma metal sign provided I With an open ng, a display the sign plate andspacedt from having a contour similar to the toun of the opening/but of greater dimensions. than the late 1 adj ac'ent',

opening, the sign plate being provided with i reflective; and non-refiective'surfaces upon its opposite sides, t the A displayfliplate*being provided with like 'surfacesnpomits op posite sides, "but reversely to surfaces of" the sign plate, and spaced websconnecting the, two plates}, p 2. In a sign'the combination Witha hous ing and a lamp in the housing, of a metal sign plate detachably mounted upon the housing adjacent the, lamp, a display plate adjacent the sign plate and spaced therefrom having a contourisimilarto the con tourof the opening but of greater dimen sions "than the opening, a white coating upon one side of the sign plate, a blaclc coating onthe other side of said plate, a white coating on one side of the display plate, "and a black coating on the other side of thedisplay plate, the coatingson each 1 plate being arranged reversely to the coat-' mgs onthe other plate, and spaced Webs I I r I p sconnecting the two plates t I In Fig. 8 my sign isshown aliixed'tjo a casa I I In testimonywhereof I have affixed my signature 1n presence of two witnesses. 

